So March 10th is coming up, and I’m quite certain that I, along with thousands of students across the world are all worrying over the decisions that will be made by boarding schools.
My most biggest fear, is that I will rejected or wait listed by all boarding schools. I just feel like I’ll be letting down all of my teachers who wrote recommendations, my sister, who goes to a boarding school, my parents who put so much effort into helping me apply, and my friends who say: “Of course you’ll get in!”
I guess this is just a little ranting post on my insecurities of getting into boarding school, feel free to rant and vent here too 
Everyone has this fear. You’re definitely not alone. Wishing you luck on M10.
I think everyone is feeling that way. My son only applied to 3 top schools last year because he had a backup here at home and he was waitlisted at those, but it turned out for the best as I am so happy to have had this extra year with him. This year, he reapplied at his top choices, but also applied to some “probably” schools and a “safety” school, but we do not have a backup at home this time and all of the sudden we are all feeling extremely anxious waiting for 3/10. What if the safety school rejects him because they think he is just using them as a safety!!! Oh my, we could just drive ourselves crazy, right?! I just want to tell you that whatever happens, you are not letting anybody down. I hope my son didn’t feel he was letting us down last year. We were so proud of his accomplishments and how hard he worked and I know your family and teachers will feel that way too. It is so incredibly competitive and it breaks my hear that 8th graders are going through this stressful process that is overwhelming even for college applicants. No matter what happens… you have NOTHING to feel ashamed about for having tried for something you want and there is nothing that says you cannot try again if your fears come true. You are not alone in your anxiety right now… we are all right there with you. GOOD LUCK! 8->
I too have that same fear for my son
I think you should be afraid.
I think all BS applicants/their parents should be afraid, honestly. Well, afraid is not quite the right word. Concerned. Or perhaps even just “realistic”?
One thing about this board that gets me down year after year is the hubris/over-confidence I see many kids bringing to the process. As if their 99%-ile (and in many cases, not even that high!) SSAT score is any guarantee of anything.
I will say that you should not feel like you are “letting anyone down” if you don’t get accepted. That notion you need to get out of your head. You gave it your best shot, and that is all that anyone can expect of you.
Best of luck on M10.
I hate to toot my own horn size=1[/size], but this is something I posted on one of my threads.
Maybe you won’t get in, but you’ll be okay.
I agree. We have kids in our school who have okay grades, no real hook, mid-range board scores and are applying to one school - Andover or Exeter as a junior! And asking for FA. Who is advising these kids? No one, that’s why they want to go to BS.
I hope you do get in!
I hope the process of applying helped in your personal growth.
As for the others? They were happy to help. They do NOT think you owe them anything. Your path is yours alone. It is really important that you live your own life for yourself, not to impress others or to “not let them down.”
One more week, and then (hopefully), resolution. I say hopefully, because there is a chance, like @bluemarley11, that you will be waitlisted at some or all of your schools, and then you will not have resolution.
Make a plan for next Tuesday to celebrate the process with those who participated, whatever the outcome.
@ofjennifers Stay positive and optimistic! If you are rejected or wait-listed, perhaps that school was not the right fit for you. Don’t worry!
If you ever need to vent about M10, feel free to shoot me a PM! I won’t mind at all! 
Unlike @SevenDad, I do not see a lot of hubris or overconfidence on this board. I see lots of anxious kids dreaming about possibilities and trying their hardest to make them a reality. Kudos to all of you. Some will be disappointed, and that will be hard, but disappointments are part of life and part of growth and I have faith that we will all adapt to the options and outcomes.
@ofjennifers – I hope you will have plenty of good news on M10, but if not, I agree with @ItsJustSchool and @thelittleswimmer that you will be ok and your options will work out for you. Those supporting you through the process will still support regardless of outcome and help you find other opportunities if needed. It will be ok.
I chatted with kaibabkid about his feelings going into M10 yesterday and I think we’ve reached a state of calm. There are so many possible paths to a successful high school experience and boarding school is just one of them. He has taken a go-for-broke approach to applications, but if admitted nowhere, he has no regrets. He applied to schools that felt comfortable and appropriate and didn’t apply to safeties where his odds were better but his enthusiasm and fit were not great. So if he gets in anywhere, he’ll be thrilled as all the options are fabulous. And if he gets in nowhere, he’ll be looking for another path to a great high school experience, but he will find it because he’s a smart, passionate, and kind kid with tons of interests, which I suspect is like most kids on this board and are some great qualities to have, regardless of whether those are appreciated by one’s dream school.
One reason why I put my older daughter’s application story on display a few years back is to show that even kids with near-perfect SSATs, great grades, etc. can and do get REJECTED from the most selective schools.
But the message is still lost on many…I guess people think somehow that they are “different” and immune to the same forces. You are not. And even less so if you need FA.
FWIW, I think it’s a clear example of overconfidence to apply to nothing but “ACRONYM” schools and think you have a better than average chance of getting an admit. It’s simple math…if schools have a sub-20% admit rate, you have a 80%+ chance of getting WL/rejected.
I know I’m sounding like the wettest of all blankets today, but believe me, I truly want every kid on the forum to get a fat envelope on M10. That said, I am of the option that, if it is indeed their goal to go to BS, that most kids (and parents) take entirely the wrong approach.
I agree that it would be folly to apply to a few schools and find yourself shocked to get a REJECTION – obviously, that’s the most likely scenario. I don’t know of any kids applying who expect to have acceptances everywhere just because of good test scores and grades, either from posts on this board or in real life. Anyone looking at admit rates can figure that out, and I’d guess that’s most people who have managed to find this forum.
I disagree that I’ve seen many posts this entire season from kids claiming sure acceptance due to good SSATs or demonstrating hubris. I have seen a lot of clear thinking about fit and goals and choices and fingers crossed for good outcomes. But regardless of outcomes, I’m guessing those students made reasonable choices given their particular circumstances and specific situations and I trust that those choices were appropriate for their goals and needs.
I agree with both 7Dad and kaibab3.
There are many who have sound reasonable approaches to prep school applications in this board
whereas posters in “Chances” forum with single digit posts would benefit from 7Dad’s messages.
Here’s the other thing that seems occasionally lost in the aspirations contained among The CC community - perhaps going to a school you should not get into isn’t a good choice anyway. All indications from some of the top schools suggest competition is higher than ever. Over time, more applicants and higher selectivity shape schools and create more exclusive academic peer groups. Once upon a time an A average and an 85% overall would be enough to get you into almost any school, but in today’s world of hyper competitive selection this is no longer the case.
Team Blackbeard has the following response - so what. If Blackbeardlings have done their best in communicating their character, interests and ability to contribute, it is likely the case that they should not go to schools that reject them. I am a decent tennis player in comparison to the general population, but I should not be trying to make my living at it, nor would I enjoy playing only people who whumped on me because I wanted to be on the pro team. Ever try dating someone who is not that into you? It’s a little south of ideal.
Instead of over worrying getting into the most elite schools, let’s all hope through the mutual selection process students find themselves at the most suitable schools. This is certainly the best way to ensure the happiest experience.
GL to all!
If you are one of the amazing kids who, like @stargirl3 and my own extraordinary daughter in last year’s cycle, are not admitted to a boarding school, you will continue to be your wonderful self and you will do fine. Be proud of yourself for taking this risk. It is not an easy thing to do.
^^^^. + 1,000,000 to what Twinsmama said
+1 to blackbeard’s post #13.
Unfortunately what I’ve seen over the years is mostly a focus exclusively on the most “elite” schools…you know, because they are the only ones worth going to. I don’t think anyone would argue that reality (the focus on the elite schools, not the merit of attending).
+1000 to Blackbeard.
Is picking the screenname “Exoverhotch19” [NAMES AND YEARS CHANGED BECAUSE I’M A NICE GUY] not a good enough recent example of hubris/overconfidence?
That’s like Johnny Manziel trademarking “Johnny Football”…and we’ve seen how that’s turned out so well for him.
That’s why I chose Blackbeard over NobelPrizeWinner2018 - I didn’t want to jinx my chances, although I might have to actually start making a societal contribution fairly soon to have a shot…